ISRAEL is shocked by the “kidnapping” of the UN conference on racism in South Africa by Arab and Muslim countries, a representative for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in Jerusalem on Sunday. “We are shocked by the kidnapping of the Durban conference by the Palestinians, by Arab countries and a certain number of Islamic countries,” said Avi Pazner. “This conference was aimed at fighting against racism. Instead it is now trying to delegitimise Israel by attempting to give it the image of a racist country, which has nothing to do with its conflict against the Palestinians,” he said. Pazner also condemned attempts to “rewrite history, by negating the unique aspect of the Shoah (genocide of the Jews by the Nazis), for instance.” Arab and Muslim calls for the UN conference which opened Friday to condemn Israel for its policies towards Palestinians provoked a boycott by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. – AFP
Saturday September 1, 2001